Severe burns are among the most devastating and debilitating injuries that a person can sustain. Significant damage to the skin and soft tissue can result in acute and chronic pain, permanent disability, and trigger overwhelming emotional trauma.
While most believe that burn injuries are relatively uncommon, they are quite simple to sustain. Burns can be caused by contact with fire, smoke, steam, chemicals, hot liquids, and even radiation. As a result, violent accidents are actually a leading cause of burn injuries in the United States.
Have you recently suffered a burn injury in a West Covina accident? If so, you may be entitled to an award of monetary compensation. Contact Citywide Law Group to find out how we can help you maximize the settlement or award you receive.
Our West Covina personal injury attorneys know that a burn can change your life in the blink of an eye and will fight to make sure that you are fairly compensated for the harm you have suffered. Call today to schedule a free consultation and learn more.
Types of Burn Injuries
A burn injury refers to damage to the skin and/or soft tissue that occurs when the body comes into contact with something hot (e.g., fire, smoke, steam, scalding liquids), caustic chemicals, radiation, or even something cold. The term “burn” stems from the burning sensation that we feel when our skin and soft tissue become damaged and/or destroyed.
There are many different types of burn injuries. Burns are classified by answering these questions:
- How much surface area does the burn injury cover?
- How deep is the burn injury?
First-Degree Burns
First-degree burns are the least severe burn injury that a person can sustain because they only involve damage to the very top layer of the skin. First-degree burn injuries often do not require immediate medical attention and can heal on their own over time.
Symptoms of first-degree burns include:
- Redness
- Tender to the touch
- Some swelling
First-degree burns can be caused by contact with hot liquids or extended exposure to the sun.
Second-Degree Burns
Second-degree burns involve damage to the first two layers of the skin. These injuries tend to be much more painful than simple first-degree burns and often require medical intervention. The most severe second-degree burn injuries may cause permanent damage and require skin grafting.
Symptoms of second-degree burns include:
- Extreme redness
- Blistering
- Fluid leakage from broken blisters
- Skin loss
Second-degree injuries are often caused by contact with hot liquids, chemicals, electricity, smoke, and flash burns.
Third-Degree Burns
Third-degree burns are among the most serious burn injuries that a person can suffer because they penetrate the body and destroy sensitive soft tissue. The damage caused by third-degree burns is typically permanent and will require immediate and extensive medical treatment and care. Third-degree burns are often painless because of the complete devastation of tissue and nerves. Any pain that is felt may be attributable to additional first or second-degree burns.
Symptoms of third-degree burns include:
- Complete loss of skin
- Skin changes color, becoming white, brown, or black
- Skin becomes incredibly dry and leathery.
Third-degree injuries are often caused by contact with chemicals, electricity, flames, radiation, hot objects or surfaces, gas, and scalding liquids.
Causes of Burn Injuries
Each year, more than 50,000 Americans suffer serious burn injuries that require immediate hospitalization. Many of these burn injuries are incredibly serious: 40 percent of victims suffer burns to a quarter of their body, while another 9 percent will die because of their burns. What causes these serious burn injuries? While burns can (and do) happen for many reasons, certain causes are reported more frequently than others.
Flame Burns: Flame burns occur when the body is exposed to fire and/or flames for an extended period of time. Victims may suffer flame burns in house fires, car accidents, and stove explosions.
Flash Burns: Flash burns occur when the body is exposed to fire and/or flames for a very short period of time, often because of natural gas/propane/gasoline explosions. Victims may suffer flash burns in car accidents, workplace accidents, premises liability accidents.
Scalding Burns: Scalding burns occur when the body comes into contact with hot liquids, including water, oil, and gasoline. Victims may suffer scalding burns because of defective products, premises liability accidents, or nursing home abuse.
Contact Burns: Contact burns occur when the skin comes into contact with hot objects, such as metal, glass, or plastic. Victims may suffer contact burns because of medical malpractice, motor vehicle accidents, or defective products.
Chemical Burns: Chemical burns occurs when the skin comes into contact with acidic or alkaline chemicals. Victims may suffer chemical burns because of a boating accident, defective product, construction accident, or workplace accident.
Electrical Burn: When electricity comes into contact with the body, it has the ability to inflict serious and potentially life-threatening burn injuries. Victims may suffer electrical injuries because of exposed wires on property, unsecured wires in pedestrian walkways, construction accidents, workplace accidents, and motor vehicle accidents.
Damages Available to West Covina Burn Injury Victims
If you’ve recently suffered a burn injury in West Covina and believe that someone else is to blame, you may be entitled to an award of monetary compensation. At Citywide Law Group, our attorneys will fight to make sure that you are able to recover all damages to which you are entitled. In most cases, you will be able to secure both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic Damages
Severe burns often leave victims suffering from severe physical pain and injuries that require extensive medical care. The extent of the burn injury and need for significant medical care can require victims to miss time at work. In some cases, burn injuries will be so severe that victims will be unable to resume their work activities, at all. As a result, the financial consequences imposed by burn injuries can be devastating. Economic damages are awarded to help minimize the financial burdens you face after your accident.
Economic damages often include those for:
- Medical expenses
- Property damage
- Rehabilitation
- Nursing care
- Medication
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity, and
- Disability (temporary and/or permanent).
Non-Economic Damages
Burn injuries can also cause harm that does not necessarily have a specific or direct financial cost. Non-economic damages are available to compensate burn victims for the physical and emotional tolls of their accident and injury.
Examples of non-economic damages can include:
- Chronic physical pain
- Anxiety and depression
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Suffering
- Embarrassment
- Loss of sexual relations, and
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
West Covina Burn Injury Attorneys
Are you struggling with a burn injury after a West Covina accident? Contact the attorneys at Citywide Law Group for help getting the money you need and deserve. We offer a free case evaluation, so do not hesitate to call us now.
It’s important to know that while you may have the right to file a personal injury claim for damages, the state of California limits the amount of time you have to do so. You can make sure that your claim is filed on time by calling our West Covina burn injury attorneys immediately after your accident. We will thoroughly investigate your case, determine potential liability, and fight to make sure that you are fairly compensated for your injury. Call today to learn more.
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